The love songs from VM’s “Astral Weeks”
Astral Weeks
Beside You
Sweet Thing
Ballerina
“The Way Young Lovers Do” is great too, but these four are other-worldly.
I’ve had a 37 year on and off love affair with the “love of my life”, which might explain;
Meatloaf- For Crying Out Loud
Lonnie Mack- Falling Back In Love With You
The Beatles- in My Life
Gary Moore- Still Got The Blues For You
All the Things You Are, here sung by Ella Fitzgerald
My Funny Valentine, sung by Chet Baker
“This Is Us” by Emmylou Harris and Mark Knopfler is another good one, in the vein of “Remember When”, but more upbeat. I love both of those.
I love everything about** Amanda** by Boston. the lyrics, the vocals (all done by Brad Delp) and the guitar harmonies.
“God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys, followed by “Something” by the Beatles. I would also like to put in a vote for “Thirteen” by Big Star for adolescent/first love and “This Will Be Our Year” by the Zombies .
Naima, John Coltrane
Wonderful Tonight, Clapton
I’ve always loved Darling Be Home Soon, by the Lovin’ Spoonful. Especially this part:
"And now
A quarter of my life is almost past
I think I’ve come to see myself at last
And I see that the time spent confused
Was the time that I spent without you
And I feel myself in bloom
So darling be home soon
I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled
My darling be home soon
It’s not just these few hours but I’ve been waiting since I toddled
For the great relief of having you to talk to"
“Love to Love” by UFO from *Lights Out
*
I’ve always liked Angie by the Rolling Stones and Thank You by Led Zep
Unchained Melody, by the Righteous Brothers.
The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs. An album. Guess how many tracks. All on the topic of love, but not all about being in love, or wanting love, or necessarily positive emotions.
The Indigo Girls cover of “Romeo and Juliet” still makes me cry over 20 years later. Props to Mark Knopfler for writing it, but Amy Ray’s delivery is just astounding to me.
“Wilder Than Her” Fred Eaglesmith
“She’s a summer storm, I’m a hurricane.
One just blows through town, the other blows the town away.
'Cause I’m wilder than her.”
“Emotionally Yours” Bob Dylan
“Come baby, rock me, come baby, lock me into the shadows of your heart
Come baby, teach me, come baby reach me, let the music start
I could be dreaming but I keep believing you’re the one I’m living for
And I will always be emotionally yours.”
I’m partial to something a little more wistful, like Tom Waits’ Martha, and Jimi Hendrix’s Little Wing
Favorite love, or any category, song: Haunted by The Pogues (as well as several other covers).
I love a lot of the ones already named, and I could go on for hours. (I’m kind of a sap.) Though I’m not generally a country fan, here’s one that just tore my guts out. It’s the Zac Brown Band’s Colder Weather.
The Gershwin’s song from 1926 - “Someone to Watch Over Me” as sung by Linda Ronstadt.
This was my mother’s favorite song so I’ve heard it all my life but I love Ronstadt’s version the best. (In the video, you can skip to 1:00 if you don’t want to listen to the spoken intro).
Too on the nose? Lovesong - The Cure